MRI Goggles: March 26, 2012

Any child would be green with envy, but these high tech goggles are reserved for the select few undergoing advanced medical testing.

“We were trying to get something unique and we thought what a great idea that we would have these goggles where the kids could sit inside the MRI scanner and be able to watch a movie while they’re in there,” says Heather Haddock, a pediatric sedation coordinator with The Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.

The MRI scanning process takes anywhere from twenty minutes to two hours, a lifetime for a scared kid.

“It’s very loud in there and very intimidating, especially for a young child,” says Haddock.

Preserving their peace of mind is a top priority of the child life specialists who work in the pediatric sedation unit.

“I’m focusing on getting them through their procedures. So whether it’s an IV or an MRI or a CT scan or anything I radiology I’m here to make the hospital a little bit more normal,” says Kathryn Davis, a child life specialist with The Children’s Hospital.

And what could be more normal than watching a flick?

“It distracts them enough so that they can hold still long enough to get their test done without being put to sleep for it,” says Haddock.

The DVDs are controlled and played from in here. Only designated devices are allowed in with the MRI because it works off a large magnet. So the entire suite was rewired to accommodate the goggles.

“You can see the movie from inside the control room so you know that they’re actually watching it, its not skipping or its not playing,” says Haddock.

Providing a mental break in a serious situation.

“We usually have four to six kids a day for various procedures,” says Davis.